Horsefeathers!

I'm kind of thinking Plan B, also. Pardon me all over myself for saying so, but you seem a bit (what's a good, non-offensive word) young to be trying to make such an important commitment twice over. I vote YES on the "wait a few years" option.

My most gee golly favorite game to play with my dogs is "the quiet game." The object of the game is to see who can be quiet the longest. They don't fall for it, either. :-?

[quote name='DogPaddle'] Some people seem to think that having two dogs is decadent or something, some look horribly worried like - [/quote] Owning ten dogs and always having five of them with me everywhere I go (the three Standards, one Toy Poodle and Devin the little brat) including work, errands and such, I get many disgusted looks from people who comment on my having a car full of dogs. The eyes widen and the nose wrinkles as I mention there are five more at home. I have no trouble at all controlling all five at one time. Perry, Pauly & Peyton can walk on a single leash homemade splitter setup, only mine's a little different. I got a length of chain about 3 feet long and attach each end, with a swivel snap hook, to two dogs' collars and a swivel snap in the middle to another. Then I can attach a single leash which also has a swivel snap end to the middle of the chain closest to the middle dog and it's a splitter. It sounds more complicated than it really is. Three dogs are on one leash, Devin is on another and Peanut is almost never leashed :oops: . If need be, I can carry her. She doesn't mind a leash and walks well on one. I have just never really used one much for her (bad, bad owner! :oops: ). About the people who seem so disgusted about having multiple dogs... I always tell them that I much prefer dog hair and the smell of dogs over punch stains, vomit, dirty diapers and sour milk. I don't have kids. :)

I love Bedlingtons! If you clipped all that hair off, they do have a stop and not the full smooth head of a Bull Terrier. Their heads are shaped that way primarily by scissoring to make them look lamb like. :)

Actually, I'm planning on buying some Doggles for Perry and Pauly. They like to ride with their heads out the windows, ears flapping in the breeze. I know, I know... bad, bad owner I am! I know that dogs are supposed to be harnessed in, chained and shackled inside secure crates, strapped down to their seats and all that. Ok, so I let them ride with their heads out. I am going to buy some Doggles to at least alleviate any worries of debris flying into their eyes. :oops:

Courtnek, I tried the Rescue Remedy on a couple of my dogs. One for being afraid of storms and the other for basically social anxiety (hates to leave the house... will pee and poop and drool the minute you put him in the car to go somewhere). It had no effect at all on either of my dogs. :( I did try Carol's recommendation of peppermint extract and melatonin and that worked marvelously, but I only used it on a couple of dogs who are sound sensitive (storms, firecrackers, etc.). I don't know how it would work otherwise. I know that Elan, a friend with an online store (I think K has the link... if not, I can get it), has something called Calm Dog (or something similar). I've heard that it works well. I'll see if I can find out more about it. Always good to have options, you know.

Buncha smarties! :P I hardly know how to act, having a dog come into the house acting as if she has some SENSE. Perry and Pauly both came from kennel environments, so we had to go through the whole housetraining thing, teaching to walk up and down stairs (Pauly still doesn't get the going down part and just dives off the top step... I'll be sure to keep you updated on his broken leg when it happens :-? ). Jill is absolutely perfect right now. If she has a dark side, I haven't seen it yet. She is amazingly sweet and docile, perfectly house trained, well mannered, loves to ride, walks well on a leash, crates well, loves to play with the other dogs, cats and squeaky toys. She's obviously used to being a house dog because she is perfectly at home on the couch and slept last night on my bed (I know, I know, not the way to start a dog off... they are supposed to earn it and all that... yeah, yeah... couldn't say no :oops: ). A friend of mine... the one who got Razzle, the SP with the seizures, is considering taking Jill. That could work out. I would get to see her all the time. Gosh, this girl is so good. We left tonight for a couple of hours and she is the ONLY dog we've ever left loose in the house... meaning new dogs (once they've been here a while and establish they can be trusted, we leave them out, but have NEVER left a new dog loose). She did wonderfully. I'm so used to having special needs dogs... can it be for real that she is NORMAL? Oh, how I'll hate to give her up. Still, she will make a wonderful dog for [u]someone[/u]. Poor girl has a raging ear infection right now and it appears she has had chronic ear infections her entire life. There is evidence of hematomas on both ears (they are both all thick and crinkly), scars on her cheeks from scratching at her ears, and inside her ears are damaged. The vet thinks she may have some hearing loss. We are doing weekly flushing and medications for now to try to get it under control, but he says they will never be "normal" because of the extensive damage. Oh well... :( Anyway, Jill is the perfect little lady and I absolutely ADORE her. C'mon... anyone up for Devin? He's still a little brat! :P I'll have some pictures uploaded by the weekend. :)

Sharpei, I'm SO sorry to hear that Sassy is gone. I really wanted so much to offer you support while you were struggling with her and I anxiously awaited updates on her, though I never said much. As you may know, I recently had to make the same decision with one of my increasingly volatile dogs. Sometimes when their minds are muddled, be it by head trauma, genetics, or whatever, the best thing to do is send them to the next life where their souls can be free and their minds can be clear. It's the humane thing to do and I often wish the same option were available for humans. I wish I had been able to offer more support, but I truly didn't know what to say without seeming callous because my thoughts for the last little while have been that you would need to let Sassy go. A little time has passed and I feel a little better each day about the decision to let my Penny go. I KNOW it was the right thing to do and what you did for Sassy was the right thing as well. She could not have been happy with her mind in such constant turmoil. You set her free and she will be there in the next life to thank you for it. I know it hurts and you will grieve. My thoughts continue to be with you. They always were; I just don't always express them so well.

PETA... BOO! HISS! :o

How many people just assumed it MUST be another dog (show of hands)? Yeah, you think you know me so well! Ha! Well, guess what?! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ok, it's another dog. :-? I got a phone call today from someone a couple of towns over and apparently word has gotten around that I'm the one to talk to about fostering Standard Poodles. They dropped her off at my salon late this afternoon. What I know about her... her name is Jill and she's estimated to be about 6 years old. The people that had her had found her wandering several months ago. They took her in and got her up to date on shots, heartworm prevention and all that, but they have a baby who is becoming more and more mobile and they are afraid the baby is too rough with Jill (pulling up by grabbing her ears and such) and while they say that Jill has never shown any aggression, they don't want to take the chance that the dog finally has enough. Anyway, that's what I was told. They seemed like really nice people and they didn't seem to want to see her go. Jill is a really smallish Standard and she is BLACK (the rest of mine have been white and one cream that I fostered). Either she is a very poorly bred Standard, or I believe she could actually be a Labradoodle... her ears and head and sort of Lab like. I've only known her a couple of hours, but so far she gets along really well with the other dogs and cats. She is a bit timid and would prefer you wait for her to approach you as opposed to you directly approaching her. I believe that will change as I think everything here is just new to her (add to that the fact that my house is a madhouse). I do believe this girl has a raging ear infection, though, so I'll get right on that tonight. So now there are TEN freaking dogs roaming at large through my house. It's a jungle in here! I do know of a couple of people who have been interested in adopting a Standard, so as soon as I am able to get to know her and decide which kind of home would suit her, she should be ready to go. She is believed to already have been spayed. So those of you who instantly guessed "another freaking dog" when I said "guess what I got" know me too well. Geez, I spend way too much time here. :-?

[quote name='Malamum']For those that are wary or against the BARF diet I am curious as to what you consider poses the greatest threat to your dog. A - the feeding of bones B - salmonella etc from the feeding of raw meat C - the dog getting sick from missing some major nutritional component in their diet. or something I haven't listed.[/quote] Malamum, all of the above and then some. Raw bones DO splinter. On my quest (ha? :o ) for objective research, I've learned from people who DO work with wolves that it's not entirely uncommon for them to be found with punctured stomachs/intestinal tracts from the bones of fowl. There are now actually wolf sancturaries that will NOT feed a BARF type diet to their wolves. Salmonella... this from personal experience. I had one of my own dogs on BARF a few years ago. Bought the books, joined the lists, did the "research" and it made good sense at the time. Even taking all recommended precautions, my dog got extremely ill with salmonella. I learned that this is also not uncommon. I was made to feel like a lone fool when I approached some of the very people who had been my staunchest supporters. Nope, it does happen. The nutritional thing is a tricky one. There are so many variations of BARF. Some are based on the theory that dogs are strictly carnivores and therefore are solely protein based diets. I do feel that this is way off. Too much protein IS a bad thing. While dogs can be called carnivor[u]ous[/u], they are not obligate carnivores like cats. They are omnivores, eating both meat and vegetation. Also, taking into account that the whole BARF thing is based on people's assumption that since it's what wolves eat, it MUST be correct... Look at the longevity of wolves. They don't have very impressive longevity. Also, many of the experts who work with wolves say that they are frequently found starving, ematiated, with horrible dental problems. All this along with wolves that have been found with fowl bones lodged in places they ought not be, disproving that whole "raw bones don't splinter" theory. Wolves eat what is available to them and what they have to. It doesn't necessarily make it the best thing. Billinghurst admits he has never studied or worked with any wild dogs or wolves. Back on the homefront (domestic dogs), I have seen with my own eyes the xrays of dogs who had raw bones lodged in their digestive tracts or stuck in their mouths, sometimes puncturing through. Again, it's not uncommon. I'll tell you something about some of the BARF lists where people declare over and over the booming success it is and how the problems are only in the minority, or SOLELY a result of the owners' incompetence. This is because anyone who expresses any doubt, or declares that they've had problems is quickly either ridiculed away, or outright banned. [b]Of course[/b] it appears to be a booming success. No one on those forums is allowed to say otherwise, at least the ones I saw. It truly was a cult like environment. I am all for a natural diet. I just am totally dead set against EVER feeding raw meat to any of my dogs again. They get a decent kibble (Wellness) supplemented with a COOKED diet. Despite what the BARF proponents say, cooking at regular household temperatures does not destroy all the vital nutrients in food. That's a misleading statement. The extreme temperatures in commercial plants used in extrusion and rendering can certainly affect it, but we are not cooking at those temperatures. As far as "dogs in the wild didn't have cooked meat..." well, they also didn't get all the health food store supplements being pumped in with these diets, either. Wolves don't eat yogurt, seaweed, kelp, grapefruit extract and any of the gazillion other things used to supplement raw diets. It's not as natural as many would like to believe. Besides, here's a thought... in the wild, wolves eat their food, store it, carry it to their pups and regurgitate it back up to them, all nice and warm and soft. This food has been basically predigested, not unlike cooking. Maybe mama wolves DO know something. Again, please understand that I will concede and say that I know many dogs do ok on raw. That's not my issue. I'm certainly not trying to start a revolution. My whole issue is with those who believe it is the end all cure all diet for ALL dogs. I read some posts (here and elsewhere) where people are so self congratulatory because they THINK they are sharing information when all they say is, "my dogs are doing great and yours will, too!" I get really frustrated when every problem from seizures to behavioral problems to allergies to a nervous eye twitch are diagnosed via the internet as being diet related and a raw diet will just fix it right up. Blech! Aren't you glad you asked? :wink:

PETA... BOO! HISS! :evil:

To reopen an old can of worms, I thought this was interesting. This is only ONE of the things I have saved that addresses dangers associated with raw diets. While many argue that vets don't have adequate education on nutrition (for the record, I do agree), even the most crackpot vet can "diagnose" splintered bones in stomachs, e coli or salmonella illness, or whatever, with little regard to the "nutrition" involved. Anyway, I thought it was interesting reading. I really don't care one way or the other what people choose to feed their dogs, but I do get really sick (to be totally blunt) of those people who address EVERY issue that comes up with, "hey, put your dog on a raw diet and it will fix that... my dogs are healthy and yours will be, too!" whether it's skin and coat care, stomach ailments, allergies, seizures, temperament problems, or what. My favorite part of this article? The part where it addresses the fact that BARF has a cult like following. For the record (again), I don't have a problem with the "casual" BARFer... the person who genuinely means well. I'm talking about those who refuse to hear ANYTHING other than what they choose to believe and they believe it should be right for EVERYONE. Phooey! My whole point (as always) is that those considering it should be well educated on ALL sides and research it thoroughly, not just do as some would say and join the raw lists and take that as gospel. It would be like joining a Ford forum and asking what they think of Chevrolets. Anyway, happy reading. :) [url]http://secondchanceranch.org/rawmeat.html[/url]

It's a Dog's Life Gas stations have become the ultimate in convenience centers. You can fill up the car. You can buy (what passes for) food, or grab a (not too lethal) coffee. Most come with restrooms. And now, in some locations across Europe, you can wash your dog. No, I'm not talking hogwash, I'm talking dogwash. An enterprising fellow by the name of Steven Jackson, who reckoned that homeowners found it difficult to bathe their pooches at home, came up with a system where you can wash, rinse and blow dry your dog, all for a fiver. Everyone -- except for the actual dogs, of course -- thinks this is a great idea. Personally, I think the inventor was very clever, especially when you consider all the engineering factors that need to be taken into account. Have a look at the instruction manual: Labrador Retriever - Shampoo. Rinse yourself. Rinse the dog. Rinse yourself. Repeat. Chocolate Labs - Wash only with other dark colored dogs. Chihuahua - Cold water wash only. They're small enough already. Dachshund - Insert sideways into machine for best fit. Irish Setter - Warning: Use of bleach will make this dog pink. Coton du Tulear - Cotton wash only, obviously. Poodle - For best results, use fluff dry setting. Shar Pei - Avoid the permanent press cycle. Rottweiler - You're kidding, right? You really want to try to stick a rottweiler in this thing?! Water Spaniel - Extra long rinse cycle. Bassett Hound - Place ears under shower cap to avoid jamming machinery. Pit Bull - See Rottweiler. Dalmatian - The spots aren't supposed to come off, silly. Stop washing the poor thing. Borzoi - For best results, wash with vodka. It won't make the dog cleaner, but you'll have a better time doing it. Scottish Deerhound - Yes, we all know that Scotty dogs wear nothing under their fur. You don't have to tell every other dog washer there that tired old joke ... St. Bernard - Please use extra large, industrial capacity barrel. Xoloitzcuintle - We don't even know how to pronounce this breed, much less wash it. OTHER PETS: Goldfish - Do not wash goldfish in this machine. They regard it as an amusement park (especially the spin cycle) and refuse to leave. Hamsters - Wash in pairs. If one goes missing, check the lint trap. Cats - Warning! Do not attempt to wash cats in our standard Dogwash setup. Please make use of our special Catwash facilities. These come complete with Plexiglas shielding, high strength industrial rivet and weld construction, titanium feline restraints and express cycle speed wash. Not responsible for lost items, such as fingers, pieces of ear, ends of noses or entire limbs. Snakes - Don't try to wash a snake in any of our facilities. They will only have a hissy fit. Tarantula - Please be considerate of other patrons and wash these creatures only in off-peak hours. Station attendants need extra time to administer poison bite first-aid; besides, washing all those armpits will take longer than you think. Skunks - Be sure to use the Extra Extra Extra Fresh Scent Fabric Softener when drying your skunk. Please. We mean it. Lop-Eared Rabbits - Do not attempt to claim damages when your rabbit comes out of the wash. We know this breed had droopy ears to begin with, okay? So, given this new trend, do not be surprised if dogs all around the world suddenly learn to hate car rides. Or that your local gas station now resembles a zoo. Indeed, you should just go with the flow. The next time you're selecting your car wash options at the machine, don't forget to hit the Paws button.

I own a grooming studio and work out of two locations, primarily a vet clinic where I lease space and I do a little grooming for select clients in my home. As pointed out, a lot depends on where you are located. Requirements can vary widely from location to location. I am in Georgia, US, and a kennel permit is required by the GA Dept Of Agriculture as well as local business licensing. I agree with Cassie... classes on safety, handling and first aid, and continuing education (seminars, trade show, symposiums) are a must for ANYONE wanting to work with animals.

I have several thoughts on this, but my first thought is that the shelters aren't generally overflowing with homeless horses, cattle and chickens. I don't see very many horses, cattle and chickens rummaging through dumpsters and garbage bins and roaming loose on the streets. However, we are overrun with dogs and cats and there aren't nearly enough resources to care for them, so I am one who believes it is irresponsible to bring more "pets" into the world. Comparing livestock breeding to dog breeding is kind of like comparing apples and oranges.

Sasha, KJS is K's msn groups name, I believe. Her hubby has been having a tough time finding a decent job. :(

Anyone remember my last foster Devin? He's a Lhasa Apso that a client surrendered when he was eight months old. To summarize, I had him neutered and found him a great home with a nice guy who really did work hard to make it work with Devin. Wellll... Devin got loose and took off and was gone for two days before someone called and reported finding him. The guy was way too freaked out by that and decided not to keep Devin. This poor guy... he felt like such a failure and he really took it hard when Devin disappeared. He didn't want to take that chance again and since part of the agreement when I adopt them out is that I'll take them back at any time... Soooo my best friend and stepmom decided to take him. Devin has been there for the last few months. The only two people in that house are my stepmom and my 10 year old kid sister. Devin was doing so well, but my kid sister is a brat to him. She has been taught and shown how to handle animals, but the truth is that she just doesn't have my love for animals. She likes to "play" rough which has resulted in her being nipped a few times. Then she was recently bitten in the face by Devin while she was scruffing him up and making him growl ("I was just playing!"). Enough is enough and I got Devin back today. All the educating and preaching and bitching and moaning in the world just isn't sinking into her thick head, so Devin is back with me. He absolutely hates her and has stopped merely defending himself against her... he will blatantly chase her into another room and he means it. I hate that. He is usually such a bubbly, fun little dog. After the recent Penny thing, the last thing I wanted was to deal with another aggressive dog issue, but (I suppose) this is different. Devin has just plain had enough of her "playing." I will not be trying to find him another home. I'm just going to keep him. Screw it. My friend was devastated to give him up as she is extremely bonded to him, but we both know that my brat kid sister is going to eventually get seriously hurt and Devin will likely pay with his life. Not hardly worth it. I wish I knew how to instill love and and compassion into a kid, but if leading by example doesn't work, I just don't know what else to do. Devin is a year old this month. [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetPubPhoto&PhotoID=nLAAAAKgOVxqb5kgKG60!qGCbAf3l56A1qwTUO0VKQOo4jEkmXFRnn7x3Zm4L9XOfPIVt*re*HhUBcXAQ5kXWmw[/img]

Mine was dressed as a soldier. :) [img]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0YwDZAmAgF4shJNSjCczJkEkLG5mbmwnWUBQMNrOfZm76TXtbyD7ggxzCn7EHTdVevAUid9kLTFkCCVpWHCGjEmQ5dZfcQCbbPJpmnK4xm5kDeVqe!gxY2a93XSqe*KbdPXeV61cChXMPTYurqs!CXg/Perry%20smiling.jpg?dc=4675444591952465106[/img]

Congratulations on the new baby. Awaiting photos, please. :)

Geez, yourself! You came here asking for advice and people are TRYING to help based on the information you gave them. I've not seen one reply to your posts that suggests you don't love your dog. How about trying to be a little less defensive? Take what you can use and leave the rest behind, but don't be so hateful to the people you asked for help. Oh, and welcome, like.

[quote name='courtnek'] Altho Lhaso's arent huge on the dog scale...[/quote] No, but they are typically HUGE on the attitude scale. Despite their stature, Lhasas are not a toy breed and do not have the same merry dispositions as most of the dogs bred solely as companions. Lhasas were bred to be indoor guard dogs and are somewhat aloof and independent and, without proper structure and training, can become little canine terrorists. Now you know. :) I agree that professional help is needed. The last foster I placed was a Lhasa Apso (I also own a couple... that independent nature and assertiveness is what I like about them) and he can be extremely snappy and antagonistic if he's not constantly kept under control. They are smart dogs and you can learn to coexist peacefully with them, but I hope they are able to find a trainer who doesn't work solely on domination, but also on how to help these people understand the nature of these dogs and how to handle them. If handled poorly, Lhasas can quickly become fear biters and very defensive and withdrawn which benefits no one... owner nor dog. Just my two cents. I love these little beasties. :)

Hah! I can do you one better! Look at my avatar. Now imagine this... these same dogs were in my car at a gas station when someone peered in, gasped, and said, "Are those long haired Pit Bulls?!" ?:-??

Ah, I'll go with my most gee golly favoritest breed, Standard Poodles :iloveyou: , based on a combination of my experiences with mine and general stuff I've heard to be true through other Standard lovers. Pros: 1. Very intelligent and highly trainable 2. Easily socialized 3. Coexist peacefully with other dogs 4. Eager to please 5. Energetic without being hyper 6. As hypoallergenic and shed free a coat as is possible with dogs 7. Travel well 8. Versatility in styling... if you like variety, this is the dog for you The bad stuff: 1. Though a typically hearty breed, Standards can be prone to certain problems like bloat, seizure disorders, ear infections and hypoglycemia to name a few. 2. They can sometimes be small animal aggressive (cats, guinea pigs, etc.). Hasn't been a problem with mine, but I have known some who were. 3. Aggressive chewers (freaking chew hounds... every single one of 'em, I swear :x ) 4. Extensive grooming requirements That's really about all the bad stuff I can think of, though the grooming thing isn't bad to me. There's just something therapeutic for me playing in all that hair. :o

Not that I have an opinion as to whether it's "right or wrong," but here's just what I've seen of early neutering and spaying. Not only does our shelter do it, but my vet does it with the orphaned rescues that he often adopts out, puppies as well as kittens. I've seen them done as early as 7-8 weeks. I've never once seen a problem. What does stand out to me is that the recovery of these young animals is amazing. From what I've seen, by the time the sutures come out, there is barely even a visible scar. Seriously. They heal so amazingly fast and the ones I've seen come back as adults seem no different than any other dog... it doesn't seem to affect their personalities at all. It may or may not be the best thing, but IMO, I believe it is the lesser of the evils. I have to be honest and admit that if I had a litter of puppies that I needed to place for whatever reason, they would all be neutered/spayed before they went anywhere, if it meant doing it at 7-8 weeks. I don't trust contracts and limited registrations. There are too many scam registries willing to paper anyone's dog if they can't get the original AKC papers and, besides, many people don't give a crap about registration papers, anyway. If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say, "well, they're not SHOW dogs..." I honestly have no problem with this breeder wanting this puppy neutered prior to leaving. It sounds to me like this breeder may have been burned once or more by someone who didn't honor their contract. As mentioned before, if it makes one uncomfortable, there is the option of choosing another breeder. I just personally don't have a problem with it.